Category Archives: Wright Case

A Judge in Sioux Falls says a deaf woman will be subject to the death
penalty if she’s convicted of kidnapping or murdering another deaf
woman. Judge Bradley Zell’s ruling applies to Daphne Wright, who’s
accused of killing and dismembering Darlene VanderGiesen a year ago.
Defense attorneys say Wright is intelligent. But they say executing
her would be cruel and unusual punishment because her communication
skills and understanding of her environment are limited because she’s
been deaf since she was an infant.

Zell disagreed and says there’s no law or court case indicating that
deaf people are protected from capital punishment the same way
juveniles or mentally disabled people are.